Strong finish secures second in league

William Roskin ’18 jukes out opponent during Senior Night against Crespi. The team won the game 5-0. Photo Credit: Pavan Tauh/Chronicle

The boys’ soccer team finished second in the Mission League with a record of 9-8-2 Friday.

Head Coach Kris Ward said that, given the age of the team, second place is a great way to finish.

“Before the start of the season, we weren’t sure what the other teams were going to look like,” Ward said. “A lot of these other schools are going out with squads that are completely upperclassmen.”

Center back Nick Barnouw ’19 said the team finished out the season strong, only losing one of their last seven games. The one loss was against Loyola, a team that was 11-1 at the time.

Barnouw said the key to success was the team’s commitment to stay positive, including a new tradition of playing music in the locker room before every home game.

“We get more confident once we get up in games, once we’ve scored, then we’re going to be able to play a bit more loosely,” Barnouw said.
The team is having more fun, players said, which translates to playing more loosely on the field. It allows them to play with each other, instead of individually looking to score goals.

The team had to rely on a lot of fresh talent.

Barnouw specifically pointed out that center midfielder Connor Colao ’21 has played well and shown a lot of potential.

Barnouw also called Pablo Greenlee ’20 “amazing” and a “future D1 player.” He cited Greenlee’s first touch and his ability to weave in and out of players.

Ward said that Colao had a great stretch of games, scoring a lot of good goals and giving the team a versatile player at midfield. He also said that Greenlee has been a big contributor since he was a freshman.

Team members also said that Langston Holly ’20 has been working hard and fighting for his time. Holly scored two goals in a 5-0 victory against Crespi Thursday night at home.

The team blew out St. Francis 6-0 on Jan. 19, yet Barnouw said that the team’s best game of the year came in the second game of the season, which was against Notre Dame. The Wolverines lost 2-1, but Barnouw said the game played well together as a team. Ward and Barnouw said they should have won the game.

The team will begin play in CIF playoff games starting Feb. 16, and is yet to find out what team they are playing and whether it will be at home, as of press time.